A review by eabecker05
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Oh. Boy. 

This was a ride and I have book hangover. 

I wrote down theories and questions as I was reading and I might as well throw all those away now. They don’t work with the way the story has turned. 

Poor baby girl Violet. The past year had been rough to say the least but the past 7-8 months has been cruel. First you find out your country has been lying for centuries. Then you fight in a battle that you are not trained properly for. Lose one of your best friends. Almost die. Find out your dead brother is in fact not dead. Go back to school and you are now suspect number one. Nonstop hounding by a cruel high ranking official. Torture by said official. Becoming a “traitor”. Researching ancient texts. Activating an ancient wardstone—incorrectly. Going to an even bigger worse battle. Losing your mother to correctly active a wardstone. And then your boyfriend becomes the very creature you’re trying to destroy. 

I thought I was having a bad year. 

I loved that part one was at Basgiath. I loved seeing how the structure of the lie the Navarrian government was crumbling now that Violet knew what to look for. We can all agree that Varrish was the worst. He shouldn’t have been allowed to work with students. That man should’ve been on desk duty. But hey, how do you successfully hide information from a whole nation? Threats and torture. Varrish did his job well but he was a bad, bad guy. 

Jack Barlowe. He came back!? I guess he never actually died since apparently he was VENIN!? Since last year!? WTF!? Obviously we wouldn’t have seen the signs when we didn’t know it but we also missed it on rereads? Damn him. F* him. But also brilliant. 

Lilith died. General Sorrengail sacrificed herself for the wardstone to save the dragons, Navarre, and, most importantly, her children. I can’t scream redemption louder for this woman. She did want she was told. She did what she thought would protect her family. She failed but that’s human nature. Her sacrifice cut me. When she said she’d get to see him, her husband, I cried. I’ll tear up in books occasionally but not cry. 

I loved seeing more of the world. Going to different parts of the continent was very interesting. War torn and warded Navarre seems  to keep everything bland and basic. What’s the point of making it pretty when you’ve been at war for four hundred years? Provinces in Poromiel do not think the same despite the proximity to the venin. Cordyn was beautiful and majestic and colorful.

This book was such a wild ride and I had the best time. 

The emergence of the First Six did bother me a bit. To my knowledge they were not referenced at all in the first book but were very pertinent to the plot of the second. Maybe they’ll be more important here out. I’d very much like to learn more about the others and their ideas of closing Navarre. 

The fact that both Violet and Xaden were tempted by the earth magic is very intriguing. Desperate to live Xaden fell for the pull but Violet also felt it. She nearly gave in but her mother and brother stopped her.  At first I thought it was poetic that Violet, the weak and fragile of the two, was able to resist the pull, while Xaden, the sterotyoical strong one, fell for it. But it makes sense. Violet has always known how to adjust and accommodate for her faults. Xaden has always needed power and strength and when he was waning he did what he needed to do to stay strong.

All in all I throughly enjoyed this book. I couldn’t stay still at parts. I yelled at the audiobook. I cried. 

I’m still numb. 

I’m scared but so, so ready for book three. 
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